Cutting and slicing devices of the various types are known to the art by which wire is pressured against food matter to sever it from the food stock. However, the similar prior art devices are subject to certain disadvantages and shortcomings. The major disadvantages lying in the usual need to touch the food matter at each cutting step, to typically require the use of two hands to position and cut the food matter; the requirement to manually retract the cutting device at each cutting step; the shortcoming of not being able to store the food matter within the cutting device between uses thus eliminating the cycle of loading the cutter at each use.
Similar prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,103,579; 3,766,817; 1,931,982; 1,796,212 and 1,595,097. U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,579 is dissimilar because it utilizes a wire cutter which is in compression, does not act in a storage function, does not return the cutting tool to pre-cutting position by spring tension and appears to require two hands to advance and cut the food matter. U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,817 is dissimilar in that it does not serve a storage function, it does not have a means integral to the device to advance the food matter toward the cutting tool without handling the food matter, it does not have a spring actuated return mechanism bringing the cutting tool back to a pre-cutting position. U.S. Pat. No. 1,595,097 provides the storage function but does not include a spring actuated return mechanism bringing the cutting tool back to a pre-cutting position and does not have a tensioned wire mounted upon two spaced arms with a cross bar.
Each of the similar prior art searched has disadvantages to the improved construction of the present invention.